American Horror Story 

An anthology series centering on different characters and locations, including a house with a murderous past, an insane asylum, a witch coven, a freak show circus, a haunted hotel, a possessed farmhouse, a cult, the apocalypse, and a slasher summer camp.

Creators:

Brad Falchuk, Ryan Murphy

Stars:

Lady Gaga, Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett

Won 2 Golden Globes. Another 120 wins & 373 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Evan Peters	...	James March / ... 94 episodes, 2011-2018
Sarah Paulson	...	Lana Winters / ... 85 episodes, 2011-2018
Denis O'Hare	...	Spalding / ... 60 episodes, 2011-2016
Kathy Bates	...	Madame Delphine LaLaurie / ... 58 episodes, 2013-2018
Jessica Lange	...	Constance Langdon / ... 53 episodes, 2011-2018
Frances Conroy	...	Myrtle Snow / ... 52 episodes, 2011-2018
Lily Rabe	...	Misty Day / ... 51 episodes, 2011-2019
Angela Bassett	...	Desiree Dupree / ... 48 episodes, 2013-2018
Emma Roberts	...	Madison Montgomery / ... 46 episodes, 2013-2019
Cheyenne Jackson	...	Will Drake / ... 43 episodes, 2015-2018

Storyline

Physical and psychological horrors affect a decomposing family, workers and residents of an insane asylum, a coven of witches, a cast of circus freaks, the employees and guests at a struggling hotel, a family who moved into a mysterious farmhouse, the members of a small suburb in Michigan, the surviving members of the Apocalypse, and the counselors of a creepy summer camp in this haunting anthology series, focusing on the themes of infidelity, sanity, oppression, discrimination, addiction, and exploitation.

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Plot Keywords:

anthology | serial killer | male objectification | supernatural | hotel | 

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Taglines:

On Wednesdays we wear black

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Genres:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

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Certificate:

TV-MA

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official Instagram

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 October 2011 (USA)

Also Known As:

American Horror Story: Asylum

Filming Locations:

Hidden Valley, Thousand Oaks, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Brad Falchuk Teley-Vision, Ryan Murphy Productions, 20th Century Fox Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

16:9 HD

Did You Know?

Trivia

The first season used horror movie scores for its soundtrack, most noticeably the scores from Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992), What Lies Beneath (2000), Psycho (1960), and Insidious (2010). Also used the whistled "Twisted Nerve" from Twisted Nerve (1968). "Twisted Nerve" was also featured in Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003). Asylum also featured scores from other movies such as Carrie (1976) and Candyman (1992).

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Goofs

Throughout season 4, ETC Source Four lighting fixtures can be spotted hung above the Freak Show stage. The Source Four wasn't manufactured until 1992, 40 years after the season is set.

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Quotes

Zoe Benson: Do you think Fiona can fix it?
Madison Montgomery: You're such a Goddamn idiot. I can't believe you told them everything. I'm supposed to be cleaning up my act! When this gets out, I'm screwed!
Zoe Benson: Who cares? This is murder, like multiple murders!
Madison Montgomery: They're not gonna find any evidence that we messed with the bus because we did not mess with the bus! What did you do to that shit dick in the hospital, though?
Fiona Goode: [Fiona comes in, angry] Idiots.
[...]

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Connections

Featured in TV Sins: Everything Wrong With American Horror Story "Pilot" (2018)

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Soundtracks

American Horror Story Theme
(uncredited)
Written by Cesar Davila-Irizarry and Charlie Clouser

User Reviews

Entertaining.

A dysfunctional family moves into an old house, a house with a history of horror. For the main characters, history is what the first episode is all about: the husband's history of infidelity, the wife's history of having a bloody stillbirth, the daughter's history of cutting herself -- for each a long history of pain and resentment and longing for change, though it quickly becomes apparent the only change coming will leave them hysterically screaming to the sudden, violent, gory end. The one sure thing this show promises is that people will die horribly, and we will all be terrified by it.

The characters are not likable; they may not even be redeemable. Even the suffering wife is bitter and cold and hateful. But do they deserve what horrible things will assuredly happen to them? Nope. Which means their fight is our fight, and their fear is our fear.

American Horror Story is interesting, entertaining, suspenseful, and ambitious. After watching the first episode, I want to watch some more.